Developments of Adi Dharma in Telengana (1870 - 1880)

By 1871 Kandukuri Veeresalingam (father of Telegu nation) was heavily influenced by Brahmoism.
A movement was covertly established by him to seek independence of the
Telegu speaking provinces of Madras Presidency and the Nizamate of
Hyderabad. A secret society for this was organised in 1878 in
Rajahmundry under the cover of Prarthana Samaj
of Andhra Pradesh. He bitterly opposed immoral (ie. polygamy and child
marriage) practices of the upper classes of Telengana starting a new
phase of reform for Adi Dharma in Telugu speaking regions.

"He contributed to the political sphere by his activist journalism
of writing about issues such as corruption in the local administration.
The presidency government kept a close tab on the Indian language press
and sometimes responded to investigate such allegations. Viresalingam
also intervened more directly by conducting widow remarriages and
popularizing new forms of voluntary association."

Kandukuri vacillated between Adi Dharm nationalism and Keshab Sen's
dictum of "Loyalty to Sovereign" being rewarded with Rao Bahadur title
in 1893 by British. But by clinging to Keshab Sen philospohy of
"Loyalty to Sovereign" till 1907, Viresalingam found himself
increasingly isolated from the militant ideology of Adi Dharma's new
stridently nationalisic adherents in the region.